Scenarios

I had some free time today to test out the Ogre video game on Steam, so I decided to play defense in a basic “Mk. III Attack” scenario in single-player (vs. computer AI) mode.

The picture at right depicts the classic “Four Howitzer Defense” by Chester Hendrix. You can read about it in detail at the SJ Games site or in the OGRE Book (p.48-49).

In a nutshell, the defender places four howitzers in such a way “so their crossfire is at once heavily concentrated and mutually supportive”. The different colours in the deployment map indicate the number of howitzers able to fire into any given hex. In the region near the command post, all four howitzers can fire upon an attacker.

As Steve Jackson comments:

Not everyone can make the four-howitzer defense work, but it’s a valid strategy – and played successfully, it can be hugely annoying to an opponent who didn’t believe howitzers were worthwhile… let alone four of them!

This is a scenario that I’ve used against human players on several occasions. I’ve also run it as a solo session many times – usually with an Attacker victory. It’s a good test case for Ogre video game, and thus is the subject of my first computer “play-through” post.

I got the urge this weekend to pull out the Big Box o’ OGREs. I checked out the SJ Games Forums and noticed a new(ish) scenario from Steve Jackson himself – GEV Screen. It’s a variant of the old Fencer Attack scenario, except with a Combine OGRE instead of a Paneuro Fencer.

I tried two solitaire sessions of GEV Screen, followed by two games of Fencer Attack.

GEV Screen

An OGRE plus GEV screen (4 units) face a defending force on the original (orange) map. The defender can select either a Mobile Command Centre or a Hardened (D2) Command Post – I went with the D2 Post.

I used the Mk. III version of this scenario, and since it’s been a few years since I last played OGRE I used the ‘beginner’ loadout (with two extra defending armour units). I first tried running the GEVs as a second force to split the defenders, but it didn’t work out well. There were a number of very lucky rolls against the attacking GEVs, and the Defenders won a Complete Victory.

The next time I kept the GEVs with my Mk. III. This worked much better – I was able to clear all the mobile and long-range defending units and sneak a GEV into the back field. The defenders were able to immobilize my OGRE and pick off the GEV on the way back, though, so it ended as a Marginal Attacker Victory.

There’s some discussion on the forum post about the role of luck in this scenario. It does seem to be pretty “swingy” depending on the dice rolls – but I see this as a feature not a bug. It’s short enough to play several games in quick succession without getting boring; I quite enjoyed it.

Overall, I give GEV Screen 4 out of 5 nuclear trefoils.

GEV Screen (Scenario):☢☢☢☢◯ (4/5)

Fencer Attack

This is the classic Fencer mission, featured in the OGRE Book, with the Paneuro tank and four GEVs attempting to destroy two targets on the original (orange) map.

I played this one twice through as well (with my kids helping). It plays very differently than the GEV Screen – surprisingly differently. The first time, my Fencer got bogged down in ‘melee’ combat and was chewed up before getting all its missiles out. It ended up as a Complete Defender Victory.

The second time, I used the Fencer properly as a sniper with the GEVs acting as support units when defending got too close. I made good use of my missiles (the final one destroyed the defender’s last armour unit), and even managed to retain a GEV through to the endgame. I destroyed both targets and escaped, ensuring a Complete Attacker Victory.

I didn’t enjoy this scenario quite as much as GEV Screen, but it’s an excellent tutorial on combat tactics. I’ve got a soft spot for the Fencer, too, so I’m rounding my score of 3.5 up to 4 out of 5 nuclear trefoils for Fencer Attack.

Here’s another solitaire review from the OGRE Scenario Book 1. This time, I’m looking at Kill the OGRE, by Barry Stockinger.

The premise here is that a newly-assembled OGRE Mk. III is activating over several turns and an attacking force must damage (or destroy) it before it is fully ‘awake’. Each turn, new weapon systems come online, and eventually it can move (and escape). As with all Scenario Book missions, this takes place on the original OGRE map.

So I’ve been trying out a few of the missions from the OGRE Scenario Book 1, first released in 2001 and now available as a PDF from W23.

It includes seven complete scenarios created in response to a design contest, each requiring only the original OGRE map. At the time, I had started putting together some missions of my own but (regrettably) never submitted anything. [I did create twoscenarios for this year’s Fan Scenario Contest, but have yet to hear anything back.]

The contents of the book are a bit uneven, but I’ll concentrate on the gems. First up is Spoiling Attack, by C. Andrew Walters.

The gist of the mission is that a small defending force is guarding a “hidden” Mk. III against a strike team. The OGRE is concealed in one of seven potential sites in the northern third of the original OGRE map. The attacker has to damage it and flee; no victory points are gained by destroying defending units and you must exit at least part of your force.

I ran an OGRE Tournament between Christmas and New Year’s. Over about a week, I managed to entice six other people into playing. I would consider it a success, and the highlight was a three-player session of Breakout from the old Command Post Gamma site. I’m reposting my session report from my Tournament page here to encourage others to try the Breakout scenario.

Breakout is an OGRE scenario for two or three players on the G1 map. A large Combine force has already overrun the Paneuropean defense, and rather than mopping them up is bypassing them in an attempt to cross a river. However, just as they arrive at its banks, the Paneuro Reserve comes to the rescue.

Here’s a brief session recap, from my Tournament page(the colours refer to the different sides):

Breakout was about the best game of OGRE I’ve ever had. The Combine selected a Mk. V, which quickly wiped out the Paneuro Remnant (except for a few stragglers). However, this cost nearly all the OGRE’s missiles, and the Paneuropean Reserves were able to grind it down.

The game ended in epic fashion, as the OGRE risked all to get within secondary range of the remaining forces and got stuck in a swamp. Given enough time, the pitiful Paneuro LGEVs would be able to completely defang the beast. A marginal Paneuro victory was declared for 56 VPs.

Overall, Breakout is an awesome scenario that you should go and try right now. I give it 5 out of 5 nuclear trefoils.

If you’re waiting – like me – for your Nihon sponsored counter sheets to arrive, here’s something related to the Nihon Invasion but without the custom counters. Back in the day, Keith Johnson’s created a scenario called “The Nihon Invasion of San Francisco” featuring an amazing USGS map. [Remember – this was before Google Maps!] I printed a colour copy on an 11×17 sheet and had it laminated, wrote this scenario, then had great fun pushing little paper chits around.

I wonder how easy it would be to get a large-format version printed today…

It is 2101 and the Combine has fallen. The Nihon Empire avidly monitored its collapse, and now sets its eyes on invasion. Spies and agents loyal to Nihon have infiltrated positions along the west coast, reporting military intelligence back to the Heavenly Empire.

But there is a problem.

A Nihon defector, a high-ranking spy, has made contact with San Franciscan authorities. He possesses detailed knowledge of the planned invasion; information which would jeopardize the entire North American operation if revealed. It is a desperate situation for Nihon; drastic measures are called for. It is time to contact the sleeper agent…

…An old program hidden deep within a computer AI has been activated; a hidden voice issues new commands to an OGRE. Turning south from its previously assigned mission, it acquires a new target. Its goal is to reach the turncoat before he reveals Nihon’s invasion plans.